Is this the look of a guilty dog? Have you seen a similar look from your dog?

I have lost count of the number of times owners have told me that their dog “knows he did the wrong thing because he looks guilty”. Really……..you think so – you had better think again. You may think your dog knows he is guilty, but in reality he has no idea. So what is really going on? Most dog owners have all at some point come home to find a favourite slipper chewed, the rubbish bin emptied all over the floor or maybe a room that looks like it has somehow managed to snow inside, but only reveals that beautiful new cushion you just bought has been destuffed.

First of all the look you see from your dog has nothing to do with feeling guilt. Guilt or shame are not emotions that dogs feel – it is not on their radar. Dogs are too busy being dogs and doing doggy things.

So if they are not feeling guilt, why do they look guilty? To understand what is going on we need to understand a little bit about dog behaviour.

Here is what we might see when we closely observe that ‘guilty’ look. Lowered head, ears back, averted gaze, droopy eyes, head turned, rolling on back, tucked tail, thumping tail, crawling on floor, slink away and hide, whale eye and maybe a paw lift. These behaviours are not only descriptions of the ‘guilty look’, but also behaviours associated with fear and stress.

Your dog is most likely reacting to you, to your behaviour and your body language.

When you return home to find that de-stuffed cushion all over the lounge room, you will likely react in some way, especially if it cost you a week’s wages. Your dog has no idea what your sudden morphosis into crazy lady means, especially if the said cushion was killed some hours before you arrived home. Your dog will not relate what he did earlier, to your current behaviour. So lets look at your possible behaviours for a moment – different tone of voice, stern looks, pointing finger, stomping on floor, frantically picking things up, bending over the dog in an aggressive way. Dogs see and feel you are upset for some reason unknown to them, and are trying to appease you.

There was a study conducted in Budapest to investigate the guilty look. In the experiment, owners enforced a social rule that food on a table was for humans and not dogs. Dogs were then left alone with the food. Some dogs scarfed it down, others didn’t.

When the owners returned to the room, observers noted how dogs greeted them, noting any “guilty” looking behaviours. They found no difference in the greetings between dogs that ate the food and dogs that did not. Nor were owners able to tell whether their dogs had eaten the food in their absence.

The takeaway message is that dogs display the “guilty look” to owners for tons of different reasons, and its presentation does not signify knowledge of a misdeed.

I am a dog trainer and I freely and happily admit to having my dog sleep on my bed. I am happy about it, my fellow human bed partner is happy about it and my dog is absolutely happy about it. We sleep well, most of the time anyway. OK…. so occasionally there is a dispute over who has the most bed space or who is taking over the doona, but generally there is no sleep disruption.

So why is there so much concern about this nocturnal activity?

When dog owners are asked this question, they usually respond with a guilty look on their face– like they just committed a criminal offence. “Well, I know I shouldn’t – but yes I do”, this is normally said in a very apologetic voice with downcast eyes, followed by justifications of why they allow this to occur. If the information is freely offered it tends to be whispered behind a hand over the mouth, in case someone else within range might hear of this dreadful thing we do with our dog. There is always of course the option to blatantly lie or just avoid the truth altogether.

So what is it about this activity, that creates so much angst and guilt, yet privately a lot of dog owners (and dogs) enjoy.

It all goes back to the now debunked theories of Pack/Alpha/Dominance all tied up with a distorted view of what leadership is. It was, believe it or not, thought that we should always eat before the dog, never let the dog walk ahead of us, never allow the dog to be at an equal or higher level than you – the dog should know his place. This means in essence, that the dog should not sit on my lap, rest beside me on the couch or heaven forbid – sleep on my bed. Research and science has since debunked these theories but unfortunately they still abound. It is OK to allow your dog on your bed, or on the couch if that’s what you are happy with. Your dog is not trying to dominate you, or take over your household or the world.

This article is not addressing those issues you may have if your dog is resource guarding. If this is the case you need to see a good trainer/behaviourist to help you. This is a symptom of a deeper problem and not just the fact that the dog is sleeping on the bed.

So you can sleep easy, with or without your dog. It’s your choice.

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Dogspeak is focused on helping you build a great relationship with your dog and teaching you how to effectively communicate with your canine friend and family member. Dogspeak can help set you on the right track with your new puppy or newly acquired older dog. Taking the time and putting in the effort to teach your dog how you would like him to behave is imperative for both you and your dog.